This Site Proves That Netflix Search & Browse Need to Be So Much Better

An intrepid Reddit user has created a website that proves how much room for improvement Netflix has with its own website. The mega-popular streaming service certainly does a lot of things right in terms of content, with shows like Stranger Things, Mindhunter and Master of None among the most acclaimed new shows on any network. It's not short on original movies either, with Mudbound emerging as a legitimate awards contender in 2017.

However, Netflix has never been limited to original programming. Of course, it started out as a way of accessing classic movies and TV shows on-demand. While that remains a vital aspect of the Netflix ecosystem, the network doesn't hesitate to push its own content on the website. It adds problems to an already cumbersome, convoluted interface that makes it unnecessarily challenging for users to find the content they seek.

Thanks to Reddit user "CrazedEll", there's a site that helps you find content on Netflix in a much smoother and easier way. Just one quick visit to Flixable reveals a much simpler interface that lets original and non-original programs intermingle. It uses a sorting system to help users browse movies and shows by release date, IMDB rating, and the date they were added to Netflix. And if you are partial to Netflix's original programming, they get their own entire section.

Many comments on the Reddit thread complimented the creator of the website for making it easier to find programs that they didn't know Netflix had. Netflix's unwieldy UI allows users to scroll through movies within specifically targeted genres, but it often buries content that users may not get to in their searches. Flixable makes the search process easier and more rewarding by simplifying the genres and also allowing users to quickly access movies and shows that are leaving Netflix soon.

There's little doubt that Netflix users would actually consume more content if they used Flixable to search for what they want to watch. It makes better sense of the network's vast library and does the opposite of what Netflix tends to do, which is make users feel overwhelmed and paralyzed by indecision. With this site, you'll almost certainly spend less time browsing and more time watching.

However, a cynic would point out that Netflix's bloated UI could be somewhat by design. It's obvious that they want users to watch their own original content over other programming, but at the same time it doesn't hurt them to have users who spend too much time browsing and not as much time watching licensed content. Ultimately, a site like this will help Netflix because users who are sick of the UI will utilize sites like Flixable, while those who don't mind it aren't being forced out anyway.